10 Low-Maintenance Landscaping Ideas for Your Yard

While gardening is therapeutic for some, it can be a real hassle for others. But plenty of effective landscaping options don’t require you to spend hours of attention in the yard. Whether opting for low-maintenance native plants and natural growth or doing away with the greenery altogether, you can embrace hardscaping elements and ditch the ideal of a perfectly manicured lawn. Here are 10 low-maintenance landscaping ideas experts recommend to makeover your yard and impress the neighbors.

Add rock gardens

Many non-plant elements can enhance a yard’s landscaping, and rocks are one of them. “Some of the most appealing low-maintenance trends we’re seeing involve expanded rock or mulch bed areas,” says Bret Douglas, member of the Thumbtack Pro Advisory Board and owner of Ironclad Landscape Management. He says different rock combinations can be a visually striking and low-maintenance way to revamp your yard. Rock gardens offer the perfect solution for curb appeal and year-round durability. Though the initial design elements might require a time investment, rock gardens include plants that don’t require much fertilizer or water, so they’re perfect for enduring weather changes and adapting to natural elements.

Expand mulch beds

Douglas suggests that expanding mulch beds are a low-maintenance landscape idea that is on trend these days. Making mulch areas larger reduces the need for green turf.

It’s also not necessary to fill the mulch space with more plants that will require maintenance. Take a minimalist approach and expose larger swaths of red or brown mulch. Or, add ornamental garden decorations, like bird baths, feeders, or statues that can be left alone throughout the year.

Consider ornamental grasses

Ornamental grasses are all the rage for gardens in 2024. Ornamental grasses are durable, versatile, and resilient year-round plants that exude low-maintenance garden beauty.

“Think Mediterranean. Plants native to this region are adapted to tough landscapes, so they tolerate drought, are low maintenance, and are not appetizing to deer or rabbits,” says Marci Bonner, a DC-based landscape architect at Richardson & Associates Landscape. “Catmint, Russian sage, salvias, lamb’s ear, and ornamental grasses would make a nice combination of textures.” If you want to preserve natural greenery but don’t want the work of needy plants, try ornamental grasses as an easy alternative. 

Embrace hardscaping

One of the most durable and trending landscaping ideas doesn’t even involve greenery at all: It’s hardscaping. Hardscaping is using non-natural elements in yard design. This could include firepits, patios, pergolas, and pathways.

“There is a growing demand for hardscaping projects, particularly the use of decks and concrete paver areas,” Douglas says. Concrete or pebbled paving, used for seating platforms or walkways, mean less stress on the lawn. So, the lawn benefits from less foot traffic, while the concrete areas need only occasional attention for cleaning.

Bring in native plants

Plants native to your area require less work than those not acclimated to the temperature and soil. Instead of changing watering patterns and soil hardness to maintain imported plants, it might be easier—and more visually appealing—to embrace the local environment.

“If you rather, go towards a more native approach, selecting plants that are native or adapted to the local environment—such as hollies, coral bells, oakleaf hollies, fothergilla, and switch grass—would create a harmonious color palette,” says Bonner. As you select plants native to your region, find ones that require less frequent maintenance to embrace natural beauty without all the hard work.

Add dry creek beds

Dry creek bed designs are also increasingly popular. “People are taking advantage of runoff or washout areas in their landscapes by using large boulders to create pathways,” Douglas says.

Place landscape fabric underneath boulders and rocks to form a creek-like pathway. Then, line it with various plants and driftwood to enhance the landscape’s appeal. “When it rains or there is heavy runoff, the water cascading through these dry creek beds looks particularly striking,” he adds. Dry creek beds improve drainage all year round.

Use ground cover

Plant ground cover—low-lying and creeping plants—to keep a lush and green garden without all the maintenance. Phlox, evening primrose, and lily of the valley are woodland flowering plants that offer greenery. Such evergreen plants are even shade-tolerant, so there’s no need to worry.

These plants trap moisture, protect the soil, and prevent invasive weeds. Ground cover plants are quite versatile and give your garden a mystical look and sweet smell.

Incorporate stonework

Stepping stones give your yard a much-needed makeover. “Once established, these hardscaped areas require minimal maintenance, making them a popular choice for homeowners,” Douglas notes. These long-lasting elements can go years—even decades—without replacement. Aside from the initial financial investment in the stone design of your choice, stone pathways are pretty simple to install.

Add wooden areas

Wooden decks or steps are also popular patio elements that reduce yard maintenance. Whether it’s adding a wooden addition to the home or introducing wood-plastic composite materials to porches, durable and weather-proofed landscaping ideas can spruce up your outdoor spaces.

Try meadowscaping

Meadowscaping is a unique and on-trend yard option that transforms any ordinary garden into an authentic habitat for the plants and animals that would normally graze these biodiverse spaces.

Meadowscaping is a gardening technique to return manicured lawns to more of an untouched state. The idea is to create meadows and use rural areas to let natural plants take over and grow. It means higher grasses and pops of color with a tamed messiness that feels like the natural environment. Of course, plants can be cut back if they begin encroaching on more usable areas of the yard. Meadowscaping is low maintenance because it only requires periodic mowing and sprinkling.

If you live in an area with strict grass height and community rules, be sure to stay in compliance, while also welcoming insects, birds, and plants that once thrived on that soil.